Much more than simply an object of beauty, coral reefs are living, breathing ecosystems, teeming with life.

Although they occupy less than 0.1 per cent of the world’s ocean surface, they provide an essential home for 25 per cent of all marine life; they are also vital for protecting coastal communities, acting as natural barriers from cyclones and rising seas; and 275 million people depend directly on them for their food and livelihoods.

11 March, 2018 (RT)*— A trade war between the US and China will spell “disaster” for the entire world economy, Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan has warned, after Donald Trump signed orders greenlighting stiff tariffs on imported aluminum and steel.

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By Uri Avnery*

10 March 2018

IN THE Autumn of 1948, after some eight months of continuous fighting, I was promoted to the lofty rank of corporal. After taking part in a crash course for squad leaders, I was allowed to choose my new soldiers – new immigrants from Poland or Morocco.

Uri Avnery

(Everybody wanted Bulgarians, but the Bulgarians were already taken. They were known to be excellent fighters, disciplined and stoical.)

I chose the Moroccans. I also got two Tunisians and five Turks, altogether 15 men.

All of them had just arrived by ship and not one spoke Hebrew. So how does one explain to them that a hand grenade has a high course of flight and a sharp angle of descent?